THE SEASON STARTS with a sextet visit to Italy, in which the master of madrigals Carlo Gesualdo meets three contemporary Italian composers: Salvatore Sciarrino, Claudio Ambrosini and Andrea Cavallari. Gesualdo is especially known for his emotionally rich vocal music with wild chromaticism and painful, squirming harmonies. He has been an inspiration for many later composers, among them Sciarrino, whose 12 Madrigali set nature-themed haikus by the Japanese 17th-century poet Matsuo Basho.

Salvatore Sciarrino

Andrea Cavallari

The lines of each section of the choir were straight and clear, as if played by instruments, and yet soft and flexible, supporting an unbroken sense of breathing. Each group sang with pure intonation and the resonance between the voices took on a life of its own, so that the whole space was filled with ringing colours.